


More Than This.

by Twinklylights



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: 11x06, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix It, Husbands, M/M, Pillow Talk, Season 11, aka can they have scenes longer than 3 minutes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:46:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29459217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twinklylights/pseuds/Twinklylights
Summary: “Hey Mick, would you take care of me if I was paralyzed?” He says instead. It’s hypothetical and not anything he’s really worried about but seeing Mickey’s reaction to Terry has sparked his curiosity.or, a 11x06 fill in / fix it of sorts
Relationships: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 18
Kudos: 239





	More Than This.

**Author's Note:**

> When I stop posting every 5 minutes, the world will know peace :))  
> Until then..... :)
> 
> Also, is this titled after a one direction song? obviously.

More Than This.

Ian and Mickey’s drive home from work is quiet for once. There’s no laughing together or bickering over speed limits, just eerie silence as Mickey drives the ambulance back to the Gallagher house.

Mickey can feel Ian’s eyes on him. Quick glances every few seconds that he thinks Mickey’s unaware of. Ian doesn’t say anything and doesn’t try to make Mickey talk about who he knows is obviously on his mind, but he observes. Studying his husbands furrowed brow and glassy eyes as he pulls the ambulance in front of the house.

The keys out of the ignition for a few minutes before Mickey finally finds the strength to get out of the truck. He automatically walks towards the back of the house to avoid who he knows is still out front and Ian follows suit; still silent, still observing.

Once they’re in the house, Mickey immediately sits on the couch, a heavy sigh leaving him as Ian takes the spot right beside him.

The house is empty for once and Mickey would love to take full advantage of the rare occurrence, but he feels the exhaustion in his bones and they’ve still got to go back to help Lip with the bikes at the Alibi and Terry’s outside on a tirade and he’s just _so fucking overwhelmed._

He’s not sure how long he sits with his head in his hands, elbows to his knees as he tries to keep his emotions inside but Ian’s hand on his neck and lips pressed against his ear draw him out of it and he looks up, his tired eyes meeting Ian’s.

“You okay?” Ian asks in almost a whisper. He’s been wanting to have this conversation since this morning. Since Mickey casually mentioned Terry’s release from the hospital. He knows this is weighing on Mickey. He’s trying to imagine how he would feel if it were Frank instead of Terry, but he knows it’s not the same. He’s never been able to fully understand the complexity of Mickey and Terry’s relationship and the shooting has only magnified how much of an outsider he feels like.

Mickey blows out a shaky breath and sits up.

“Yeah man, I’m good. We gotta go though. Told Lip we would help him unload the bikes.” He makes no move to get up and Ian doesn’t either. He just keeps staring at Mickey.

He can hear Terry outside, his voice only getting louder as he grumbles in pain and anger. Ian can tell it’s getting to Mickey and as much as he really wants to dive deeper into how his husband is handling all of this, he knows it’s not the time.

“Hey Mick, would you take care of me if I was paralyzed?” He says instead. It’s hypothetical and not anything he’s really worried about but seeing Mickey’s reaction to Terry has sparked his curiosity.

He thinks Mickey’s going to laugh. Tell him to fuck off and stop asking stupid shit but he doesn’t.

His face goes blank for a fraction of a second and Ian can see the gears in his head turning.

He doesn’t want to think about Ian being paralyzed. Helpless and not able to do anything for himself. He can’t think about that. _They’ve already been through that._

“Of course, I’d take care of your dumbass. It’s my fucking job.” He replies with a small smile. It’s an oddly comforting thought knowing that if it ever came down to it, he would be the one to take care of Ian. There wouldn’t be anyone in his ear trying to make decisions for the two of them or convince him that he doesn’t have Ian’s best interest at heart.

Ian presses a kiss to Mickey’s forehead, gentle and calming. He’s not sure what made him ask and it’s not like he didn’t already know the answer but hearing Mickey so easily proclaim that he’s sticking around even in a made-up crisis makes him feel a new level of love for the man that he hadn’t even known was possible.

“You taking care of me if I ever end up like him?” He makes a point to gesture towards the front door where Terry is now yelling in a language that doesn’t sound like English.

Ian shakes his head.

“You’re not going to end up like him.” he says sternly. He knows Mickey’s talking about being paralyzed but there’s a hint of something else there and Ian can’t ignore it.

“And yeah, I’m pretty excited to take care of you when you’re old and senile.”

Mickey makes a face.

“You’re excited for my hypothetical loss of mobility and mental decline?” He raises his eyebrow and is met with Ian’s green eyes.

“Not excited just…” He stops for a second, clears his throat and swallows. “Just want to return the favor you know?”

He doesn’t elaborate any further, but Mickey feels the weight of his words and has to blink a few times to clear his vision.

“Wasn’t a favor Ian” He says sincerely. A single tear rolls down his face for the first time all day and he quickly wipes it away hoping Ian doesn’t notice.

Ian takes his hand, gives it a squeeze.

“Might not have been. Still meant the world.”

He thinks back to being 17. So afraid of his own mind and what it could do to him. He remembers laying in Mickey’s bed, not able to get up but hearing the world go on without him. Mickey’s voice mixed in with his siblings trying to figure out what was going on.

He remembers the nights Mickey would crawl into bed, thinking Ian had already fallen asleep. He would tell stories of his day and anecdotes from his childhood, anything to make sure Ian knew he wasn’t alone.

“You know you don’t have to be paralyzed or in a deep depression for me to take care of you right? I can take care of you right now if you just tell me what you need.”

Another silent tear falls from Mickey’s eye, but this time Ian wipes it away, his thumb gentle as it rubs across Mickey’s cheek.

Mickey’s not sure what he needs. He knows he wants Terry dead. He wants to never think of the man again and all the anguish that he’s put him through. But he also knows he can’t be the one to do it. Terry’s spent the last 26 years trying to tell Mickey who to be, trying to convince him that he was only ever going to live to fill his father’s shoes, but Mickey’s knows that’s not him.

It’ll never be him.

He clears his throat and presses his hands to his eyes taking a deep breath.

Ian’s looking at him intensely, trying to read the mix of emotions displayed on his face.

“You know what you can do for me?”

“What Mick?”

“Will you come help me get this fucker in the house?”

+

And Ian helps. Does what he can to assist Mickey with Terry.

For a second, he questions it. Questions if Mickey really owes the man anything more than a fuck you and a slap to the face. But he knows his husband and he knows his heart.

He’s seen Mickey be gracious to people who don’t deserve it, it’s even been him a time or two. It’s one of the things he loves most about Mickey but also something that scares him.

Mickey’s heart is bigger than his body.

He thinks he’s hiding it and that people can’t see the light that radiates from him on the daily, but Ian’s sees it. It’s always been there.

He wants to tell Mickey. Tell Mickey that he sees what he’s doing, and he admires it more than anything, but there’s not enough words to fully explain just how in awe he is, so he keeps it simple.

“That was big of you.” He says as they walk back toward the house.

“He’s an asshole. Wanna be better than that” Mickey replies. Ian stops in his tracks, pulling Mickey towards him, his hand firm on his neck.

“You are so much better than that.” He says, looking into Mickey’s eyes. There’s been so much emotion behind them the last couple weeks and all Ian wants to do is make it all go away but he simply grabs Mickey’s hand and walks them the rest of the way home.

++  
That night they’re in bed, finally out of their uniforms and snuggled under the comforter. Mickey’s head is against Ian’s chest and he feels safe. As if the rest of the world is on pause and he can just be with Ian.

“You wanna talk about it?” Ian offers. He expects a no, but Mickey surprises him.

“Wasn’t ready for it. Always dreamed of the day he’d feel as much pain as he's caused me my whole fucking life. Seeing him like this now, it's fucking me up. Don't know why.”

Ian takes a minute to absorb that. He’s honestly never thought about Terry in this kind of predicament. Mickey had always made here and there comments about wanting to see him dead and gone but Ian knew it would be complicated for Mickey when the time came and never wanted to see Mickey have to go through it. Now here they are and Terry's paralyzed and they both don't know how to feel about it.

“At least we’ll always remember our first year of marriage, huh? A pandemic and a paralyzed dad.”

Mickey chuckles at that and Ian leans down to kiss the crown of his head.

He lets the room be still for a moment and doesn’t push the conversation any further.

Mickey’s had enough of a day.

He hears Mickey’s breathing change as if he’s about to fall asleep and he takes his hand and gently shakes the man back into conscious.

“I’m sleeping.” Mickey says, shuffling closer to Ian’s chest.

“I know…I know, but Mickey?”

Mickey lifts his head, his eyes meeting Ian’s.

“You’re nothing like him. It was never a question. He could never be half the man you are.” He says in a whisper. He feels himself getting emotional and his grip on Mickey tightens.

Ian hears Mickey sniffle against his collar bone and his heart breaks knowing that Mickey still has trouble believing something he's known ever since they were teenagers.

“God, how do you always know just what to say? It’s like You’re in my fucking brain.” Mickey says laughing softly.

“Marriage perk.” Ian shrugs

“Got a lot of those huh?”

_“More than I could ever count.”_

-

**Author's Note:**

> kudos , comments , questions , concerns and roast are alllll appreciated ;)  
> [send prompts/request!!!](https://curiouscat.qa/twinklylightss)  
> [Follow me on twitter for tweets about Mick!!!](https://twitter.com/passionatemick)


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